Classic Manicure & Pedicure Course

Learn the art of manicure and pedicure, and how to recognise disorders of the nails, hands and feet. This is the foundation for all 'nail' training and you will go away with the skills you need to carry out a perfect natural manicure and pedicure.

Our comprehensive 1-day Manicure and Pedicure Diploma course will also teach you how to give a wonderfully relaxing hand, arm, foot and leg massage, and how to provide an expert French manicure.

A first class manicure or pedicure with proper cuticle work, relaxing massage and expert polishing will have your clients returning again and again. Students will learn to give basic, mid-range and deluxe manicures so that you will go home with three treatment options to offer, each with its own price point.

What's included: ◦Hygiene, health and safety◦Relevant anatomy and physiology◦Products and equipment required on the course◦Consultation procedures ◦Contraindications to treatment◦Manicure treatment, including hand and arm massage.◦Pedicure treatment, including foot and leg massage.◦French and coloured varnishing.◦Aftercare

The course is accredited with Beauty Guild and you can also get insurance through an independent broker such as Westminster Indemnity - this is simple to do online, and you can get insurance sorted out straight after the course. As long as you complete your course successfully, your certificate is given to you on the day.

Course dates are on Home Page . When you are ready to book your course, email to arrange your place and pay your deposit.

Gel Polish Manicure Course (Beginners Welcome)

UV Gel Polish is one of the fastest-selling treatments available. The reason for this is that the gel polish is dry as soon as it has been cured – no smudging, and the manicure should last for at least two weeks! This treatment is transforming the 'nails' industry and everyone is asking for it!

You do NOT need traditional manicure and pedicure training to do our course, as the techniques used for UV gel polish are totally different. This means that you CAN do this training as a total beginner!

The products used on this course give a high polish and durability – and they are applied just like a conventional nail polish, with a brush. You will use two different brands of UV gel polish – one a 100% gel product, and the other a hybrid. This means you get a chance to see how techniques used with the different types of products vary. The course is not brand-specific, so students can choose which suppliers to go with after the course.

The techniques for applying and removing UV gel polish are completely different from those used in a conventional manicure. The hands and nails must be completely dry and oil free for the gel polish to perform well. This means that the moisturising, massage and pampering aspects of traditional manicure are not used in the same way when doing a UV gel polish treatment. You can, of course, do a hand massage once the gel treatment is finished.

Recognised by the Beauty Guild and by Westminster Indemnity for membership and insurance - 12 CPD points available to existing therapists. You can also insure direct online with other brokers! Price of the course and dates are on the Home Page .

This course will give you the time you need to learn to apply UV Gel Polish correctly and get a good result. You will also learn how to remove the product safely without damaging the client’s nails and how to sell aftercare and follow-on treatments to keep your clients coming back regularly. All beauty treatments offer valuable retail sales opportunities, and we will show you how to present your retail products in a way which gives the client a valuable service rather than the hard-sell they hate!

The course includes:

Relevant anatomy & physiology

Health and safety, contraindications and contra-actions

Referral to medical professionals

Equipment and products required

Suppliers list

UV Gel Polish manicure procedure (2 different products used on the day)

Marketing the therapy

Selling products to your clients

Practical Work and Assessment

When you are ready to book, email to arrange your place and pay your deposit.

UV Gel Nail Extensions - Hard Gel Nail Extensions

UV Gel Nail Extensions (sometimes called hard gel) produce super shiny, flexible strong nails. They are kinder to the nail than acrylics and are safe for pregnant clients and people who hate strong smells or allergy issues.

The extensions will help clients with brittle, chipped nails, nail biters and people who want a glamorous set of nails for a special occasion. Many people have jobs that they have to have short nails, but come their wedding day, they want beautiful long, shiny nails!

This is an excellent treatment for the beauty therapist to offer alongside classic manicure and pedicure and UV Gel Polish. The nails need regular maintenance every 2-3 weeks and this is an opportunity to keep clients coming into the salon or making mobile appointments. It is also a good chance to start retailing aftercare products such as cuticle oil and hand cream as the products used to achieve the nail extensions can dry the cuticles and skin.

A UV Gel Nail Extensions treatment can be finished with filing and buffing, conventional nail polish or gel nail polish. Nail art is an exciting option to offer clients too!

This course turns you into a nail tech – market the UV Gel Nail Extensions to existing clients but enter a whole new world with new client groups to appeal to!

Pre-requisite for the course – manicure or gel manicure training. If you are new to nails, take our Manicure and Pedicure, Spa Hand or UV Gel Polish Course before you come along for your extensions training.

You will need to bring a model along to the course as we work first on a model hand and then on a real person!

The course is insurable for professional practice through Westminster Indemnity and you may be able to add it to your existing insurance (but you need to check with your insurer yourself).

The course includes:

What are UV Gel Nail Extensions?

Anatomy and Physiology of the Nails (revision)

You and Your Working Environment

The Client Consultation

Contraindications & Contra-actions to UV Gel Nail Extensions

Benefits of UV Gel Nail Extensions

Products, tools and equipment used in a UV Gel Nail Extension Treatment

Dates and prices on the home page - this runs as both a day and a two-evening course.

Spa Foot Therapy Diploma (Beginners Welcome)

'Spa' is not just a word - it implies holistic treatments suited to a client's special requirements with a touch of luxury. This course is exclusive to me as I designed and wrote it to introduce luxury into pedicure treatments. It is suitable for beginners, students who have basic pedicure skills and for Foot Health Practitioners who want to offer a more glamorous treatment to their patients.

You will be using natural, organic, cruelty free footcare ranges allowing you to design bespoke treatments. You will use branded conventional nail products or waterbased polish suitable for people with allergies and chemical sensitivities (and pregnant women, of course).

Offering a full day’s training in the art of pedicure and foot massage, the course includes:

Relevant anatomy & physiology

Health and safety, contraindications and contra-actions

Referral to medical professionals

Equipment and products required

Suppliers list for salon essentials and all the foot and nailcare used on the course

Spa Foot Therapy treatments are suitable for men and women, as the focus is on foot care and providing a spa element to the session with massage and luxury products. We teach you how to finish the treatment with nail polish, buffing or the use of products for nails with special needs so that you can appeal to a wide section of the public.

Recognised by Beauty Guild for membership and insurance and no Anatomy & Physiology is required. You can also insure direct with a broker like Westminster Indemnity . 14 CPD points available from the Guild for experienced therapists. Prices and dates for all courses are on the Home Page .

When you are ready to book your course, email to confirm we have a place and pay your deposit.

Spa Hand Therapy Diploma (Beginners Welcome)

Spa is not just a buzz word - it is about holistic beauty care with a luxury element, and allows you to offer bespoke treatments suited to the client's needs. The course will introduce you to natural, organic, cruelty free products as well as both conventional nail products and water-based nailcare suitable for people with allergies and chemical sensitivities. You will also learn how to give specialist hand massage such as Japanese and Thai treatments using the heated herbal donut.

Offering a full day’s training in manicure and the art of hand massage, the course includes:

Spa Hand Therapy treatments are suitable for men and women, as the focus is on hand and nail care and on providing a spa element to the session with massage and luxury products. We teach you how to finish the treatment with nail polish, buffing or the use of products for nails with special needs so that you can appeal to a wide section of the public.

Recognised by the Guild of Holistic Therapists/Beauty Guild for membership and insurance - 12 CPD points available to existing therapists. No Anatomy & Physiology required. You can join Beauty Guild or insure direct online with Westminster Indemnity! Price and course dates are on the Home Page .

When you are ready to book, email to arrange your place and pay your deposit.

Paraffin Wax Manicure Course (for students with some training)

This course is for students who have learned manicure and are ready to move on and learn more advanced and luxurious techniques such as such as paraffin wax and warmed oil treatments. We will also do some simple nail art and French polish.

We will be using a selection of different brands of hand care products and nail polish including water-based nail colours and the new gel polishes which cure in natural daylight. This allows you to offer a long lasting, chip-free manicure without using a lamp!

The course is not brand specific, and so you will be able to use any manufacturer’s products on completion of your training – a big advantage, as it means you can shop around and introduce new products to your range.

Manicure is booming, with nail bars opening on every High Street and the big shops joining in. This is a huge market with room for everyone, and therapists who can offer more than a basic file and polish are well placed to take advantage of the growth in the nail industry. Our course will give you the skills you need to compete and succeed as a therapist, and you will spend time working on developing your own bespoke treatments and menu to offer to your clients when you get home.

The course materials will guide you to suppliers of the products used on the course, and how to buy them. We will also talk about how to price your treatments and market them effectively.

French Manicure using both conventional nail polish and the new gel polish products

This course is an excellent follow-on from our Spa Hand Therapy Diploma, Gel Polish Manicure and our half-day basic Manicure Diploma courses. Returning students always get a 10% discount and so do students who book several courses together!

Accredited for insurance by Westminster Indemnity . You may be able to add this course onto your existing beauty or holistic therapy insurance policy, but do check with your provider.

When you are ready to book, email to arrange a date and pay for your course.

Back to Natural Nails (for students with manicure training)

Back to Natural Nails - One day course, Manicure & Pedicure training required as a prerequisite(our Spa Manicure or Pedicure training or the half-day traditional manicure and pedicure courses) CPD points available from the Guild. This course is also accredited for members by Beauty Guild

Our Back to Natural Nails Diploma course is an industry first and is exclusive to us! Stand out as a therapist by offering a different type of nail treatment.

You will learn how to restore the strength and beauty of your client's nails following the removal of acrylic or gel nails or gel polish. You will also learn how to deal with damage caused by poor nail care, environmental damage and problems following medical treatments such as chemotherapy. Branded specialist products are used to carry out a full treatment which students will practise during the course.

The course uses a apecialist nail repair kit and these are available from wholesalers so you can obtain them as a therapist. We will show you how to sell them to your clients as part of their Back to Natural Nails treatment plan.

During the course, we will show you how to carry out a full client consultation to uncover the cause of the nail damage, along with a full nailcare history. This along with the Treatment Plan is used to help you make regular bookings for the right number of salon treatments required to see results. You will also learn how to produce a homecare plan and sell the products she needs to the client.

This course is for qualified therapists who have completed the Spa Hand or Spa Foot Therapy Diploma or a similar course at NVQ Level 2 elsewhere.

The course can be booked with a Spa Manicure or Spa Pedicure Diploma Course or on demand for experienced manicurists and nail technicians - you will get a 10% discount off the second course booked.

MANicure Courses - giving manicures to men (half day or one evening)

When a man goes for an interview, meets a new client or goes on a first date, the hands are on show as he shakes hands, picks up a file or a drink. Depending on his job, he might use his hands a lot and develop callouses, get oil under the fingernails or have dry, rough palms from frequent washing. Our male manicure course focuses on the general maintenance of hands, and how to attract male clients and keep them coming back!You will learn the difference between an Express and an Executive Manicure, and learn all the different stages to carry them out successfully. You will learn how to use buffing products as well as modern nail polish in colours to suit men. All the products you need to complete your training are provided for your use on the day along with a full manual covering all the material taught. The course covers:oHygiene, health and safetyoRelevant anatomy and physiologyoProducts and equipment requiredoConsultation procedures oContraindications to treatmentoHow to present and market manicure for menoExpress and Executive Manicure treatments, including hand and arm massage, exfoliation, masks, and cuticle workoBuffing and varnishing.oAftercare

Pedicure for Men (half day or one evening)

Pedicure is an easy sell to a man going on holiday. Sandal season means that men want good-looking feet and toes and will come along for a cleansing, pampering treatment. However, we need to emphasise that pedicure is an important part of personal maintenance and good grooming. Depending on their job, men may wear heavy work boots which give them hard, cracked skin and callouses, or they may stand a lot during the day and will benefit from massage to relax their feet. A good pedicure leaves the feet and nails thoroughly clean, free of uncomfortable hard skin and feeling light and fresh. On our men’s pedicure course you will learn how to carry out Express and Executive Pedicure treatments, including both polishing and buffing the nails, foot and lower leg massage, and luxurious elements such as exfoliation and masks. All the products you need to complete your training are provided for your use on the day along with a full manual covering all the material taught. The course covers:oHygiene, health and safetyoRelevant anatomy and physiologyoProducts and equipment requiredoConsultation procedures oContraindications to treatmentoHow to present and market pedicure for menoExpress and Executive Pedicure treatments, including hand and arm massage, exfoliation, masks, and cuticle workoBuffing and varnishing.o